HUD-certified Loan Counseling Services: Provided free of charge to Massachusetts homeowners, who can call one of the following groups to determine their ability to negotiate a loan modification on an existing mortgage. For a list of groups who provide this service, please click on this link.

Legal Services: Distressed borrowers and those who seek legal assistance with obtaining a loan modification or other relief to avoid foreclosure can contact the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC), or the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). These two groups have received federal grant funding and have staff attorneys dedicated to foreclosure-related cases and will deliver direct legal representation to homeowners in certain cases.

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s HomeCorps Program: Provides support to homeowners facing foreclosure. For consumer information about the HomeCorps program as well as information about foreclosures and mortgage lending, please visit their website.

Military Service Members should be aware that The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, SCRA, prohibits foreclosures on servicemembers without court orders on mortgages that were originated before military service began. The recent settlement agreement includes substantial financial compensation to homeowners who are servicemembers and establishes new protections for servicemembers in the future. The settlement extends this protection to all servicemembers, regardless of when their mortgage was secured, if they were receiving Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay and were stationed away from their home within nine months of the foreclosure.

Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance office. Additional information about the SCRA and the other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.

Servicemembers and their families who are facing foreclosure may also contact the HomeCorps Hotline at (617) 573-5333.

Mortgage Servicer Hotlines are useful for homeowners who want to contact their servicers directly to discuss loan modifications and refinancing options. Here are telephone numbers to the five largest mortgage servicers:

Bank of America (877) 488-7814

Citi (866) 272-4749

Chase (866) 372-6901

GMAC/Ally (800) 766-4622

Wells Fargo (800) 288-3212

Mortgage Servicers: The company that services your mortgage may not be the same entity as the one that owns your mortgage. About 50% of mortgages are currently owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. To find out if your loan is owned by:

Scams: The Attorney General’s office has seen an increase in unfair and deceptive foreclosure rescue transactions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A COMPANY TO CHARGE YOU AN UPFRONT FEE TO ASSIST YOU IN OBTAINING A LOAN MODIFICATION.

Foreclosure Rescue Scam Schemes: are typically initiated when businesses or professionals claim to assist consumers who are facing foreclosure by offering replacement financing or “creative” transactions that, it is promised, will save the family home. These are often buyers who may try to obtain your home for an amount far below fair market value or who may try to convince you to sign over ownership of your home as part of a complex refinancing arrangement. These “rescuers” often attempt to make a quick profit or commit outright fraud by preying on a homeowner’s financial and emotional distress.

The eventual transaction actually transfers title of the home from the owner to the foreclosure rescuer or a “straw” purchaser arranged by the rescuer. The straw purchasers then obtain mortgage loans, permitting the individuals to facing foreclosure to continue living in their property for a limited time, promising the individuals that they will be able to later reacquire their homes. In many cases, the promises of maintaining home ownership are deceptive and homeowners eventually face the loss of their home to the so-called “rescuer.” Be wary of responding to advertisements such as “We Buy Houses for Cash” or “Avoid Foreclosure.”

Loan Modification Scams: Misleading advertisements promise false success rates to help consumers avoid foreclosure or obtain loan modifications. Individuals or businesses illegally solicit the payment of advance fees for loan modifications or other foreclosure avoidance services, which is in violation of the Attorney General’s regulations. Some of these advertisements come from companies falsely claiming to be affiliated with the government or a bank.